Blog

Oregon Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts

I'm flattered to have been invited by Oregon Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (OVLA) to join their Resource Council. I look forward to contributing and supporting their efforts in helping the “creative community by providing legal assistance, resources and educational...

Don’t Take Pictures

I was flattered to be approached by Kat Kiernan at Don't Take Pictures to contribute to their “Rule Breakers” column. My sincere thanks to Caleb Charland for being open and contributing images to the piece, and to my dear colleague Peggy Sue Amison for introducing me...

Lenscratch Interview

I am exceedingly honored to have been interviewed by Aline Smithson for her Mixtape series on Lenscratch. The interview touches on my path to and passion for photography, as well as what I'm working on and the ways I have helped others (my favorite part of the job)....

“Determining Value”

I am honored to be one of the contributors to The Photo Archive Handbook:  What you need to know, by Mary Engel, sponsored by the American Photography Archives Group (APAG).  The handbook will be available for purchase at APAG’s booth at the AIPAD Photo Show, Pier 94,...

Art Collectors Discover Irrevocable Trusts

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL | by DANIEL GRANT A common estate-planning tool, the irrevocable trust, is increasingly being used for an uncommon purpose: It allows art owners to reap tax savings by transferring ownership of their paintings or other collectible objects, but...

Revaluing Family Treasures for the Taxman

A key point to bear in mind when reading the following article:  When it comes to the valuation of an estate—real property, assets and collectibles—the official date of valuation is the date of the decedent's death.*  To clarify, if Mrs. Wallace (the surviving spouse)...

Taxing times: private museums under scrutiny by US government

THE ART NEWSPAPER | by JULIA HALPERIN Who benefits most from tax breaks on private art museums: patrons or the public? The US government is scrutinising the tax-exempt status of private museums and questioning whether some institutions benefit their wealthy founders...

European Copyright Reform Could Restrict Photography in Public Spaces

As copyright legislation in the U.S. has often been modeled after precedents in the U.K. and Europe, this most recent European reform should be of interest to many of us. HYPERALLERGIC | by ALLISON MEIER Restrictions on photographing or filming copyrighted art,...

Mitigating Obstacles

The American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) recently invited me to write a short piece for their "Strictly Business" blog, a multi-author blog featuring over 30 regular contributors and frequent guest experts.  For professional still and motion photographers,...

“NY State Senate Passes Bill Protecting Art Authenticators from Bogus Lawsuits”

HYPERALLERGIC | By LAURA C. MALLONEE Art authenticators can finally breathe a sigh of relief: on Monday, the New York State Senate passed much-anticipated legislation that protects them from frivolous libel lawsuits. Act S1229A states that only “valid, verifiable...

Do you know what the Fair Market Value of art is?

Many have an idea of what Fair Market Value (FMV) refers to but it's not as concrete as it sounds.  The IRS has defined FMV as “… the price that property would sell for on the open market. It is the price that would be agreed on between a willing buyer and a willing...

Gilman Paper Company Collection

Written by Jennifer Stoots In March 2005 the Metropolitan Museum of Art was fortunate enough to have acquired the Gilman Paper Company Photography Collection, elevating the Museum's collection of 19th Century photography to the status of enviable.  The Met has made a...

Authorship

Written by Jennifer Stoots The Copyright Act of 1976 states that "All works created on or after January 1, 1978, are protected by statutory copyright from the time of creation in fixed tangible form, regardless of registration or publication with copyright...

Good Intentions

Written by Jennifer Stoots In 1986 Herbert Alexlrod, a collector of stringed instruments who had made his fortune as a publisher of pet-care books, loaned four (4) Stradivarius instruments to the National Museum of American History.  The "Axelrod Quartet," as the set...